Man held in child rape charges


July 3, 2008 · Updated 4:55 PM 

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A 22-year-old Oak Harbor man accused of raping a 12-year-old neighbor girl is being held in jail on $125,000 bail.

Prosecutors charged Gilbert Pena in Island County Superior Court May 8 with four counts of child rape in the second degree.

Sgt. Jerry Baker with the Oak Harbor Police wrote in the affidavit of probable cause that the mother of the 12-year-old girl discovered that her daughter was having sex with Pena. He lived in an apartment near the woman and her daughter.

In court last Friday, Deputy Prosecutor Eric Ohme said the police are also investigating other possible victims.

Pena’s attorney, David Walker, asked Judge Alan Hancock last week to release Pena on his own recognizance, but the judge refused. He said Pena was a flight risk because of the seriousness of the charges and his criminal history, which includes convictions for harassment and a violation of a domestic violence no-contact order.

If convicted of the charges, Pena could face between 17 years and six months to 23 years and four months in prison under the standard sentencing range.

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